


Pheme

by microwaveslayer



Series: Adventures in Aesthetics [2]
Category: Star Control
Genre: M/M, Not-subtle flirting, Trans Male Character, VUX/Human relations, Xenophilia, Xenophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-12
Packaged: 2018-04-04 00:27:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4119949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/microwaveslayer/pseuds/microwaveslayer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How can a human utilize VUX ships and a VUX military genius? Well, here's one way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pheme

“Captain Wilde, you have a call coming through.”  
“Patch them through, Hailey,” Captain Wilde said, sitting forward in his chair.  
“Are you sure, Captain?” Hailey asked, her nose wrinkled in disgust.  
Captain Wilde turned his head and asked, “What's the problem, Hailey?”  
“They're . . . They're VUX, sir.”  
“Identify them,” Captain Wilde ordered, sitting back. “If it's Admiral ZEX, patch the call through. If not, tell Newton to ready the guns.”  
“Yes, sir,” Hailey said.  
For a long moment, the bridge sat in silence. Hailey worked furiously at her station, fingers pecking at the keys.  
“It's the pervert,” she announced. “I'll patch him through.”  
Captain Wilde opened his mouth, but the screen came on. Before the crew stood the projected image of Admiral ZEX.  
“Why hello, Captain Wilde,” the VUX practically purred. “I've decided to take you up on your offer.”  
“What offer?” Captain Wilde asked, raising a brow and trying not to smirk.  
“Why, the one to join your rather sorry excuse for a fleet,” Admiral ZEX answered, his voice dripping with glee. “I thought you might need a bit of strategic genius.”  
“You're not afraid of the Ur-Quan?” Captain Wilde asked.  
“Gregory, if I was afraid of something as vile as the Ur-Quan, I would have never gotten half the accolades I currently posess,” Admiral ZEX replied. “And it's been a while since my fleet has seen combat. I would hate for them to get rusty just lounging about.”  
Captain Wilde chuckled, ignoring those of his crew who looked on in horror. “Well then, you should come aboard the flagship, The Green Carnation and I'll give you a proper welcome to the fleet.”  
“You didn't welcome the Thraddash so warmly,” First Mate Potst grumbled.  
“Thraddash established their relationship with us by shooting first,” Captain Wilde pointed out.  
The Thraddash crossed his arms, snorted around his cigar, and said nothing more.  
“Are there any more objections?” Captain Wilde asked his crew.  
A few looked around, some of the human members glancing nervously at the VUX, at Captain Wilde, then going back to their stations.  
Satisfied, Captain Wilde nodded and told Admiral ZEX, “You may board, but be careful. Ralph might be, ah, sensitive.”  
Admiral ZEX chuckled and replied, “I wholly understand, Captain. I shall keep DAX on his leash if you can keep your human crew on theirs.”  
Captain Wilde nodded. “It is doable.”  
The call ended and the captain stood up from his chair. He told Potst, “You may take over, but I'll want that chair back.”  
“Be careful, Captain,” First Mate Potst grumbled. “VUX are tricky little squids.”  
“I think I will be just fine,” Captain Wilde assured him, leaving the bridge.

* * *

Alexsi grinned when he saw Sub-commander DAX. He holstered his pistol and ran forward, tackling the VUX into a tight hug. Admiral ZEX turned and gave a chuckle.  
“Get your pet off me,” Sub-commander DAX hissed.  
“Heel, Alexsi,” Captain Wilde said, grinning.  
Alexsi gave an exaggerated droop of his shoudlers but let go of the VUX. DAX brushed themselves off and glared at Alexsi.  
“So, Captain,” Admiral ZEX said, turning to him. “Is there a place we can discuss . . . battle plans?”  
“Of course,” Captain Wilde said, offering his arm to the VUX. One lithe tentacle entwined with the captain's and the VUX blinked in false modesty.  
“What a gentleman,” Admiral ZEX purred. “DAX, do be nice to his pet. We have things to discuss.”  
“We'll probably be hours,” Captain Wilde added, smirking as the clear disgust on DAX's features.   
His head tendrils intertwined, flailing in groups, and DAX grolwed, “Please hurry, sir.”  
“I'll try not to be too long, DAX,” Admiral ZEX chuckled. “Be good.”  
Captain Wilde chuckled and led the VUX to his private quarters.  
Once the door slid shut and Captain Wilde made sure it was locked, Admiral ZEX disrobed.  
“How do you manage that?” Captain Widle asked, kicking off his boots.  
Admiral ZEX chuckled and ran his tongue over the human's neck. “With plenty of practice. I could ask you the same about oyur extremities.”  
“But I'm sure you know how mine work,” Captain Wilde teased.  
“I do,” Admiral ZEX said. “But there's no harm in learning from expereince.”  
Captain Wilde cupped the VUX's face in his hands, running his thumbs over the bumpy flesh. He gazed for a moment into the VUX's eye.  
“What is it?” Admiral ZEX asked.  
“Nothing,” Captain Wilde told him, turning away and getting into bed.  
Admiral ZEX asked, “Are you, dare I say, attracted to me, Gregory?”  
Captain Wilde shrugged, turning onto his stomach and opening one of the drawers of the nightstand. “You're pretty taboo, Admiral ZEX.”  
“Just ZEX, for now.”  
“Alright, ZEX.”  
Captain Wilde pulled a small bottle and grinned over his shoulder at the VUX. ZEX joined him in bed and watched the human.  
“How do you get your mane to form tendrils like this?” Admiral ZEX asked, gently gathering a few of Captain Wilde's dreadlocks and admiring them.  
He shrugged, pulling his hair away from the VUX. “It's a cultural thing.”  
Admiral ZEX blinked and told him, “I suppose I understand. They're so like our own tendrils.”  
Captain Wilde chuckled and said, “Yeah.”  
Admiral ZEX took the bottle of lubricant and asked, “So shall we discuss battle plans?”  
“Gladly,” Captain Wilde answered with a smirk.

* * *

Captain Wilde emerged from his room with the VUX admiral looking pleasantly informed. Admiral ZEX ever so slightly adjusted the captain's clothes, an action easily explained away by VUX focus on aesthetics.  
Sub-commander DAX sighed and shooed the mute human away. He turned to the admiral and asked, “Do we have a course of action, sir?”  
Admiral ZEX replied, with his usual cheer, “Of course, DAX. We'll be taking orders from the handsome human captain.”  
Sub-commander DAX sighed, “As you wish, sir.”  
“I do wish it,” Admiral ZEX said, staring at Captain Wilde.  
Captain Wilde chuckled and added, “We'll be discussing further plans and quite frequently.”  
Admiral ZEX blinked and replied, “That does sound like the best strategy.”  
“And with a military genius, we'll have some perfect plans.”  
“With perfect execution,” promised Admiral ZEX.  
“Well, if you two are done flirting, I believe there was about to be a mutiny, sir,” Sub-commander DAX interrupted, pulling the VUX away from the human.  
“And I'm sure that needs tending to,” Captain Wilde pointed out.  
“Oh, of course,” Admiral ZEX said. “But we'll plot again.”  
“Sometime soon,” Captain Wilde assured him.  
The admiral turned and left, Sub-commander DAX pulling him along. Captain Wilde turned and began to walk to the lift, Alexsi following and signing furiously.  
“Slow down, Alexsi,” Captain Wilde told him, chuckling.  
Alexsi's brow furrowed, but he signed slower. Once he finished his barrage of questions, he stared at the captain, head cocked like a dog.  
Captain Wilde told him, “Maybe I did discuss battle plans. Maybe I got more acquainted with him.”  
Alexis nodded and thought for a moment before signing another batch of questions.  
“He's a military genius,” Captain Wilde said, shrugging and stepping onto the lift. “We're going to need all the help we can against the Ur-Quan.”  
Alexsi stood next to him, staring up at the captain. He signed a final question and cocked his head again.  
“So what if I start dating him?' Captain Wilde asked, shrugging. “He's not that bad and we have VUX ships. They're like Ilwrath with how they pilot.”  
Alexsi smirked and signed again.  
“Of course not,” Captain Wilde said, grimacing. “Ilwrath, I've heard, eat their mates.”  
Alexsi smiled and was about to sign something else when the doors of the lift slid open. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and Captain Wilde stepped off the lift and into the bridge.  
“I trust no one's deserted, First Mate Potst,” Captain Wilde said.  
The Thraddash leapt out of the captain's chair and grumbled, “No, sir. No deserters and, unfortunately, no mutiny.”  
“Then you've done a good job,” Captain Wilde told him, chuckling. “You might be a good captain someday.”  
The Thraddash seemed to think about this before shrugging. “You'd have to die and I'd hate that.”  
Captain Wilde patted his shoulder and smiled.  
“Where to, sir?” one of the navigators asked.  
“I think we have some business with the Yehat,” Captain Wilde said. “Set the coordinates.”  
“Yes, sir.”  
Captain Wilde relaxed in his chair and thought about how to explain to the Yehat that there was a small VUX army with them.

* * *

“I cannae believe you're being allies with the VUX, captain,” the Yehat clucked. “A sad day to see such a sight.”  
“Do not worry about my VUX allies,” Captain Wilde assured the Yehat. “Admiral ZEX renounced his ties to his homeworld. He wishes to fight the Ur-Quan.”  
“Are you being sure his honor lies with you, human?” the Yehat asked.  
Captain Wilde nodded, “I am sure. But, enough of the VUX.”  
“What else could you possibly have for us, human?” the Yehat asked, head tilted.  
“I have a Shofixti vessel, complete with a Shofixti captain,” Captain Wilde answered.  
“They live?” the Yehat asked, eyes widening. “You're being sure of this, Captain? Be sending the creature over.”  
Captain Wilde nodded and turned to Hailey. She sighed and transmitted a quick message to the Shofixti ship.  
“If you be lying to us, Captain, we'll make sure to run you out of this space,” the Yehat warned.  
Captain Wilde nodded, “I understand.”  
The Yehat stared down at the screen before them and gasped softly. “It is being our children! The Shofixti live!”  
“As I promised,” Captain Wilde assured the Yehat.  
“But now, we are bing faced with the true horror. We cannae let the Veep Neep Queen rest on her false perch,” the Yehat explained. “We'll have to fight clan against clan to restore our honor.”  
“Will you help me against the Ur-Quan?” Captain Wilde asked.  
“We will, Captain. We'll lend our ships and our captains as soon as we've restored out honor,” the Yehat promised.  
Captain Wilde nodded, “That is enough for me.”  
“Thank ye, human,” the Yehat clucked. “To see our children lights a fire in us.”  
The transmission ended and Captain Wilde chuckled. “I think that went rather well.”  
“We're still in one piece,” First Mate Potst pointed out. “And your VUX pets haven't gone on a killing spree yet.”  
Captain Wilde pointed out, “They're our allies.”  
“Can we trust them, sir?” Hailey asked. “Can we really trust what one pervert and his band of merry misfits tell us?”  
“Hailey, if you were sent away from Earth after giving everything to humanity, wouldn't you want to spite them?” Captain Wilde asked.  
Hailey nodded. “I understand, sir.”  
“And as long as we are allied with Admiral ZEX's fleet, there will be no more of this name-calling. He might have perverted tastes, but he is a military genius. If we're going to take on the Ur-Quan, we'll need every ally we can get,” Captain Wilde added.  
“Yes, sir,” Hailey said, turning back to her station.  
“That goes for all of you,” Captain Wilde told his crew, glancing at every member on the bridge. “Humanity didn't reach for the stars to be racist.”  
“Those slimy squids are notoriously racist,” First Mate Potst pointed out.  
“So we kill them with kindness,” Captain Wilde replied. “We welcome them as only humans can.”  
First Mate Potst grumbled something and turned away from Captain Wilde. He raised a brow at the Thraddash.  
“Nothing, sir,” First Mate Potst said.  
Captain Wilde nodded, “I expect you, Potst, to be the example. Your will is stronger than a human, correct?”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“And your loyalty is just as firm?”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“Then set an example and tell Ralph to get a good look at schematics of those VUX Intruders,” Captain Wilde said.   
“Sir, you can't honestly think about putting humans under the command of VUX,” Hailey protested.  
“It is in the event the VUX need a few extra hands with repairs,” Captain Wilde explained.   
Hailey looked concerned, but turned to her stations instead. She sighed at the incoming transmission and simply patched it through.  
“Captain Wilde, you are a genius,” Admiral ZEX complimented. “With the Yehat on our side, this warrants discussion on our next steps.”  
“We'll need to collect some minerals and make a layover at Earth's station,” Captain Wilde explained. “Surely you can wait until after that.”  
Admiral ZEX sighed, “I suppose, Captain, but don't keep me waiting too long.”  
The transmission ended and the collective sigh of relief vibrated the bridge.  
“Head for the nearest star, preferably something cool,” Captain Wilde told the navigators.  
“Yes, sir.”  
Captain Wilde sat back and considered how he would explained the small VUX fleet tagging along with his crew. He decided to burn that bridge when he got to it.


End file.
